Red Roses
by ko-chan-the-blueberry-donut
Summary: It's Valentine's Day and Gray has a surprise for Black Sheep. Gray/Carmen Gray/Black Sheep Red Crackle/Rebellious Birds
1. Chapter 1

Gray made sure to wake up extra early to sneak out before his roommates woke up. He journeyed to Dr. Bellum's lab to pick up something very important for today. Dr. Bellum knew it was him when he entered as she scrolled through footage giggling at something. Gray didn't really want to know.

"Ah, Crackle! I expected you'd come early. Your project is in the fridge. You're lucky I was able to come up with a formula to make them last longer than normal ones." Dr. Bellum told him.

"Thanks, Dr. Bellum." he was polite, not wanting to seem too eager to get to the fridge, but he couldn't help feeling a little giddy at the success of his project.

"No problem." she waved him off, continuing to watch her videos and giggling. Gray hastily made his way to the fridge, opening it to reveal a beautiful bouquet of exactly twelve bright red roses tied together with a blue ribbon. He worked on growing them himself in the bio lab with some tips from Dr. Bellum, who would grin knowingly at who exactly the flowers were for.

"Hopefully she likes them." Gray whispered, both nervous and excited at the prospect of seeing Black Sheep's expression when he gave her the roses. Black Sheep was very vague about how she came to be to the academy so Gray wondered if she grew up around roses where she lived and would know the meaning behind this particular type of rose and the bouquet arrangement.

"Have fun." Dr. Bellum teased. Gray blushed, excusing himself after retrieving his prize. When he left, Dr. Bellum checked all the security cameras so she would have a front row seat for when Gray would give Black Sheep the roses.

"kukukuku my ship is so adorable." she cackled gleefully.

* * *

Gray made sure he was stealthy around the campus as students began to walk around for the morning. He didn't want anyone to possibly spoil his gift for Black Sheep.

Though he supposed giving her roses on Valentine's Day wasn't exactly a surprised, but he knew she wouldn't be expecting it from him. Ever since their first meeting when she manhandled him, Gray was smitten with Black Sheep. He loved how much of a fire cracker she could be and make him feel like his body was alit with sparks constantly. If he was corny, he'd tell her she really put the sparks in his crackle, but since his teammates laughed at his "Graham Crackle" suggestion, he'd been more careful not to show how much of his humor to avoid being made fun of.

Being with Black Sheep was like free falling–the adrenaline rush she gave him with her chaotic nature made him feel alive–as if he was merely existing before her.

Now he was _living_.

He'd tried making his feelings known, but Black Sheep didn't seem to get what he was trying to convey. He wondered how much Coach Brunt sheltered her. It was well known the massive woman had an extremely soft spot for the young girl.

He was so obvious that he was sure his other teammates were taking bets on when Black Sheep would figure it out for herself he felt less than brotherly towards her. However, it seemed no one was winning, and Gray was left with having to go with Plan B.

Being loving and supportive wasn't enough. He needed to show Black Sheep with actions that he was serious about her. So when Valentine's was approaching, he got the idea to grow her special roses to help convey his true feelings. Lucky for him, Dr. Bellum seemed to have a soft spot for "young love" as she put it and was more than happy to give him tips on how to grow roses in a tropical environment.

He finally found her out in the gardens, enjoying solitude before classes started. She looked like she was talking to someone, but he saw no one. Gods, she looked so beautiful. Was it possible to be that pretty?

Steeling his nerves, he straightened his posture and composed himself. It would do no good to be less than charming for his pretty thief.

"Black Sheep!" he called. She jumped, clearly not expecting him to find her, and quickly maneuvered a bit before facing him with a smile so bright it made Gray's knees weak.

"Gray, hey!" Black greeted, waving. He made sure to hide the bouquet behind his back so she wouldn't see until the right moment. Black Sheep was completely unaware of the flowers he had for her. "Where were you this morning? I had to deal with Tigress complaining about how El topo's snoring cut into her beauty sleep all by myself." She made a face. Gray couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry. Just had to pick up something from the lab. Didn't think you'd miss me that much, Black Sheep." Gray smirked teasingly. Black Sheep barked a laugh.

"What can I say? I need _someone _sane other than me to deal with those three." Black Sheep told him. She noticed he hadn't moved his one arm from behind his back and curiosity tickled her. "Whatcha got there, Gray?" Black Sheep asked, trying to see what he was hiding. However, Gray was swifter than her and successfully hid the bouquet from her sights. He took a deep breath internally.

"That's actually what I came to see you about. Remember how I said I had to pick something up from the lab?" seeing her nod, he continued, gaining courage. He was known as the most charming student in their class—he wouldn't let his nervousness get in the way of sweeping Black Sheep off her feet. "Well, it is a gift for you."

With his most sincere smile, he produced the beautiful roses from behind his back. Black Sheep's eyes widened, and she gasped, excitement clear on her face. Gray felt proud of himself at her reaction. She came closer, gently caressing the petals, almost afraid to fully touch them as if she'd crush them.

"What are they? I've never seen these flowers before." Black Sheep mused out, in awe at the bright red of the rose petals.

"You… you don't know what roses are?" Gray blinked, shocked Black Sheep never knew about roses. Just how sheltered was she?

"Roses." She tested the word on her tongue, and Gray found it utterly adorable at her pleased expression at pronouncing it right. "Where do they grow? Are they common? Do they always come in red?" she fired questions rapidly.

"Calm down," Gray laughed at her enthusiasm. "I borrowed a book about flowers from the library. We can look at it together later." He promised. He then appeared unsure. "That is… if you want?"

_Play it cool, Crackle! Don't sound like a lost puppy! _He scolded himself. However, Black Sheep looked ecstatic at the prospect of learning more about the world. She tentatively took the roses from him, cradling them close, as if they were a precious treasure. He knew in a way they were—any knowledge Black Sheep gained, she cherished like a priceless artifact.

"Sounds fun." Black Sheep answered, still staring at the roses fondly. She directed her stormy gaze to his caramel ones and the awe in them made his breath hitch. She clutched the roses a little tighter, as if she was afraid someone would take them from her. "Not that I'm complaining but what's the occasion?" Black Sheep asked him, tilting her head.

"You… you don't know what today is?" Gray blinked, hardly believing his bad luck. Was it really possible his luck was that bad that Black Sheep wouldn't know today was Valentine's Day?

"February 14th?" Black Sheep replied, wondering if there was a significance to the date she was missing.

The answer was yes, Gray's luck really was _that_ bad.

* * *

Should I continue?

Red Roses: A red rose is an unmistakable expression of love. Red roses convey deep emotions - be it love, longing or desire. Red Roses can also be used to convey respect, admiration or devotion. A deep red rose can be used to convey heartfelt regret and sorrow. The number of red roses has special romantic meanings associated with them. 12 red roses is the most popular of all which conveys "Be mine" and "I love you"


	2. Chapter 2

Since people wanted this continued, here's the next part! I had this all done before I was injured so I decided to release what I had so far.

Disclaimer: I don't own Carmen Sandiego

* * *

Black Sheep and Gray walked to class, her proudly holding the roses and Gray tried to keep himself from sighing like a pathetic lovesick schoolboy. However, his earlier revelation kept him from being completely mushy.

Again, Black Sheep didn't get he was trying to convey his feelings for her. After the bump of her not understanding the significance of February 14th, Gray internally collected himself, too embarrassed to explain what Valentine's Day exactly was. Call him a sap, but he wanted it to be romantic when he confessed to Black Sheep—not supplying her knowledge like he was in a lecture.

Tigress made a face at the roses when they arrived at Shadowsan's classroom. Her eyes flickered to Gray, annoyance clear in them. Gray didn't understand what her attitude was about, but his question was soon answered when she handed some money to El Topo and Le Cherve, who appeared smug.

"You just _had _to confess on Valentine's Day, didn't you?" Tigress hissed when he took his seat. Black Sheep was being approached by several students to admire the bouquet, oblivious to Tigress's presence. "Thanks to you, I lost some good cash!"

"Eh, it's not that bad, Tigress. Crackle finally got Black Sheep to date him." El Topo tried to soothe, but it didn't help he was counting the money right in front of her. Gray winced.

"She _did _understand you like her this time, right?" Le Cherve asked, seeing Gray's expression. His answering grimace was enough for them to understand. Tigress smirked.

"Ha! I _knew _she wasn't going to get it! Give it back, boys!" Tigress exclaimed. El Topo and Le Cherve groaned and handed her back the money along with extra for winning. "I told you guys she's denser than a rock when it comes to this stuff! I had to explain to her what sex meant that time she stole Countess Cleo's trashy novels again!"

"You couldn't just _say _'I love you' in words, couldn't you?" El Topo rolled his eyes. Gray glared.

"Oh yeah, that's _real _romantic! 'Hey by the way, today's Valentine's Day so surprise! I love you!' I'd be a real keeper then." Gray sarcastically retorted.

"Don't worry, Gray. If you keep this up, I'll be even more rich." Tigress smirked gleefully. "My advice: probably best to give up and find another girl. Find a real woman instead of a little girl."

"You're just jealous he thinks Black Sheep is prettier than you." Le Cherve remarked. Tigress growled. "Don't worry, Sheena. I'm sure Mime Bomb will be willing to fawn over you."

El Topo burst out laughing while Tigress turned red. Black Sheep interrupted whatever she was going to say as she came over, happily clutching her roses.

"Hey guys! Look what Gray gave me! They're called roses! Aren't they pretty?" Black Sheep babbled happily. The three thieves couldn't help but give Gray looks of pity. El Topo gave Black Sheep a smile.

"They're very lovely. I wish I would receive a gift like that." El Topo eyed Le Cherve critically and Le Cherve sighed, glaring at Gray.

"Now you've done it—you've shown me up." Le Cherve snipped. Gray shrugged.

"Sorry mate." But they both knew Gray wasn't really sorry. He was truly glad Black Sheep loved the roses and he'd grow more for her if it made her smile.

"Class is in session." Shadowsan announced his presence and everyone quickly sat down. Shadowsan eyed the roses Black Sheep possessed, his eyes flickering to Gray before turning to face the class. "Remember, do not let yourself be distracted just because of today! A thief's life is always needed to be composed and you may need to be able to out maneuver at a moment's notice." He instructed. Gray felt the jab was directed at Black Sheep but knew he couldn't prove it. Protectiveness filled him—if Shadowsan picked on her because of his roses, he would make sure to give him a hard time.

However, class went by normally, and he was thankful there was no conflict. When class was dismissed, Gray was prepared to follow his classmates out when Shadowsan cleared his throat. He noticed Shadowsan eyeing him, and Gray stayed back. Black Sheep gave him a look of concern before he waved her off, letting her know it was okay. She smiled and went on her way, and Gray found himself missing her presence already.

"Black Sheep was very distracted today. I assume the roses were your doing." Shadowsan stated, knowing full well of his feelings for Black Sheep. Gray felt his face heat up—does _everyone _know about his love for Black Sheep except Black Sheep?

"Er sorry, sir." Normally he'd be cocky, but he didn't want to be on Shadowsan's bad side unless he had to. Shadowsan looked unimpressed.

"I'm not surprised. She's from Argentina so she's never seen roses before." Shadowsan replied, and Gray blinked, absorbing the information Shadowsan had given him. Realizing Shadowsan had told him something crucial about Black Sheep, he couldn't help but grin.

Black Sheep was very vague about herself and where she came from, so he didn't know much about her besides her wanting to be the greatest thief ever. To finally know something, even if it was something small like where she was from, gave him excitement.

"Really? What part? Does she miss it?" Gray found himself rapidly firing questions, greedy for more information. Shadowsan narrowed his eyes.

"That will be all for today, Crackle. Make sure Black Sheep doesn't get distracted anymore." Shadowsan dismissed him. Gray was disappointed, but he took what he could get, and left, thoughts running a mile a minute.

Black Sheep was Argentinian. He wondered why she kept it a secret. Gray didn't know much about Argentina, but he knew sometimes he missed Australia. Maybe Black Sheep was the same and didn't want to talk about it because it made her sad.

"Of course! I know what to do!" he snapped his fingers, an idea hitting him. He pivoted around to race towards where he would find Coach Brunt. The massive woman was of course in the training room, checking the equipment. "Coach Brunt!"

"Hm? What is it, Crackle?" Brunt didn't appear annoyed, but she was a little miffed at being interrupted. Gray, however, wasn't deterred.

"Where can I find a book on Argentinian dishes?" he asked. Brunt blinked, not expecting that question.

"Errr I suppose Cleo would be the best bet—she has books on cultures all over the world along with records of music." Brunt said, still confused on where this conversation was going.

"She has music?" Gray asked innocently, cogs already turning in his head. He masked his eagerness lest Coach Brunt catch onto his plan.

"Yeah, I would assume so." Brunt said, already losing interest in the conversation. Gray had all he needed.

"Thanks, Coach Brunt. Sorry for bothering you." Gray made sure he was extra charming as he left. Coach Brunt blinked before shrugging, going back to checking the equipment.

Gray whistled casually, keeping his posture nonchalant. His journey to Countess Cleo's domain was quick, and soon Gray heard music drifting into his ears. His ears perked up as he realized it was tango music.

Black Sheep wouldn't know what hit her.\

* * *

I was trying to make this the last part but I recently got injured and part of my dominant hand is numb so typing is really uncomfortable. However, I really wanted to get this next part out. I hope everyone likes it!


End file.
